Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Fundoplication Surgery for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
GERD can be annoying and even painful. But it is not a dangerous disease. For any GERD treatment to be worth trying, it needs to be very safe. For many people, especially those who have few problems taking medicine, surgery is not a good choice.
But when fundoplication surgery is successful, it may end the need for long-term treatment with medicine. When you are deciding between surgery and treatment with medicine, weigh the cost, risks, and potential complications of the surgery against the cost and inconvenience of taking medicine. For more information, see:
Before surgery, additional tests will usually be done to be sure that surgery is likely to help cure GERD symptoms and to diagnose problems that could be made worse by surgery.
Second surgeries are harder to do, are less successful, and are more risky. So it is extremely important that the first procedure be considered carefully and be done by an experienced surgeon who is more likely to be successful the first time.
Surgery to treat GERD is rarely done on people who:
- Are older adults, especially if they have other health problems in addition to GERD.
- Have weak squeezing motions (peristalsis) in the esophagus. These motions are important to move food down the esophagus to the stomach. Surgery may make this problem worse, causing food to get stuck in the esophagus.
- Have unusual symptoms that might be made worse by surgery.
In special cases, other surgeries such as partial fundoplication or gastropexy may be done instead of fundoplication surgery.
Complete the surgery information form (PDF) 
(What is a PDF document?) to help you prepare for this surgery.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: August 5, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Peter J. Kahrilas, MD - Gastroenterology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
from
- 9 nastiest things in your supermarket
- Facebook is now fueling organ donations
- Military women and suicide: Home safe but not sound
- Still in gear: Injuries don’t stop veterans on 100-day bike trek
- Ask Jenna: I've hit a weight loss plateau. What do I do?
- He poses in a tutu to laugh in face of wife's cancer
The iVillage Network